Time Consumes Us
by Greekchic
Summary: Time. Time is all we have left.  Time consumes our souls. The end is brighter than the beginning. And that is the only thing that lies ahead.


**Time Consumes Us**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Twilight. Only the great Stephenie Meyer does.**

**--**

Everyone said time was one thing you can never get back. There's never enough time for anything. I used to scoff at that saying as I had all the time in the world. Time never made me worry; not even for a moment. That was before Bella came into my life.

When Bella arrived into my life, time seemed to fly by faster than I could imagine. For the first time in my "existence", I was actually and genuinely happy. I soon became one of the humans—glancing at the clock anxiously waiting for the right time to see her.

Bella had always begged me to change her into a vampire; and I always refused. I didn't want to damn her to this life of eternal darkness. Bella was special—she deserved to live a human life. I wasn't going to take her humanity away from her.

She was always afraid that I would leave her. Bella thought she wasn't good enough for me. She always brought up 'time' when I would refuse to change her. She pointed out that as time progressed, she would get older and I would have to leave her. I would quickly silence her fears, telling her that I would never leave her. I selfishly believed that time would never separate us.

But I never imagined her leaving me.

Many would argue that it was Bella's time to go. Some would even say that it was God's plan that Bella would leave this Earth early. Some would say that it was fate. Rosalie agreed with fate. She was quick to point out that Bella should have been long dead by now. The list was endless with Tyler almost killing her in junior year, those vile men in Port Angeles, James and Phoenix, cliff diving into the ocean, and even Volturra. Not to mention the countless times she had spent with the werewolves. Rosalie said that it was just fate regaining its control.

Whatever the reason was, all I knew was one thing.

Bella was dead.

--

I still see her cold, lifeless, and pale body in my head. When I closed my eyes for even a second, her bloody face popped into view. Her death still taunts me—no it mocks me. I can still see the entire scene in my head. It was like a home video that never ended. The blood, the endless blood, and the mangled truck….

--

_The phone rang._

_Carlisle, who was closest to the phone, picked it up and answered, "Cullen residence."_

_Edward, who was just passing by, froze when he heard what Carlisle said next._

_"No, Bella isn't here. Isn't she at home?"_

_Normal people wouldn't be able to hear what Charlie was saying, but Edward definitely wasn't normal._

_"She's not at home. I thought she'__d be at your place with Edward."_

_Carlisle glanced at Edward and the seventeen year old heard the question in his father's head: _

_Edward frowned slightly as he continued to listen onto the conversation._

_"Well, if she shows up" Charlie continued, "Can you please tell her to come on home? I'm worried."_

_"Will do Charlie." Carlisle responded and hung up, a worried look in his topaz eyes. Turning towards Edward, he asked him another question, "Have you seen Bella at all today?"_

_"Yes, this morning. She was going to La Push to tell Billy Black that Charlie invited him over the game tonight."_

_Carlisle stared at him for a few moments. "Maybe she's in La Push then. You know better not to go onto their lands Edward."_

_"Yes, I know." Edward said, turning around and leaving to go to his room. He hated to admit it, but he was still worried about Bella. He had talked to her at ten thirty this morning and now, he glanced at the clock in the living room—it was five fifteen in the evening._

_Sitting on the sofa in his room, he picked up his remote control and touched a button. Instantly the soothing melody of the piano from Debussy floated to his ears. Yet his mind refused to relax._

_The door flew open._

_Startled, Edward turned down the volume and saw that it was Alice, her eyes wide with fright. Edward felt alarmed as he rushed over to his sister. "What's wrong?"_

_The word Alice uttered made Edward's dead heart squeeze in terror._

_"Bella."_

_--_

_The speedometer on the Volvo said one hundred and twenty miles per hour, but Edward pushed the gas pedal to make the car faster. No matter how fast he was going, Edward still felt as though he was moving at a snail's pace. Alice's words still rang in his mind._

_"There's a lot of blood." She had whispered her voice devoid of any emotion. "The car's flipped over."_

_"Where is she?" Edward demanded, grabbing his sister by her shirt and shaking her slightly. "Where is she Alice?"_

_"Five miles from La Push." _

_--_

_A hand was placed on Edward's shoulder as he continued to drive like a madman. Carlisle and Alice had come along; Carlisle because of he being a doctor, and Alice because she had the vision._

_"I can't go any faster." Edward growled, his foot pressing the gas pedal to the limit._

_"You're going as fast as you can." Carlisle said gently as Alice poked her head through the two from her place in the backseat. "You're almost there." She said, her lips trembling. "I can see her. Another two hundred."_

_And then, Edward saw it._

_Jamming the car to a stop, he bolted out of the car and stared at the nightmare in front of him. Angry black skid marks ran about fifty feet and then, off the side of the road, lay a red, fifties truck, crushed like a paper cup and upside down. Inside the car was…_

_"Bella!" Edward gasped, running to the car, Carlisle and Alice close on his heels. "BELLA!"_

_He received no answer; only the delicious aroma of Bella's spilled blood._

_His heart in his throat, he ran to the driver's seat. The scent of Bella's blood was strongest here._

_Crouching down, he avoided the shattered glass as he called out her name again while Alice was on the other side, softly calling Bella's name._

_Soon, but not soon enough, Edward saw Bella, and the look enough would haunt him for eternity. Bella's long brown hair was matted with blood, her head was thrown backwards so that her white neck was exposed. Blood was also present on her face and on the cracked window shield. The thick, red liquid was also slowly dripping down her open mouth. Edward drew back, horrified. What happened to his warm Bella? Her heart, which used to rapidly accelerate when he drew near, was now slow and weak._

_"I found her!" Alice shouted, breaking Edward's thoughts. "She's lodged in pretty tightly! How are we going to get her out?"_

_"Can you lift the car slightly?" Carlisle asked her. Alice replied that she could._

_Edward, reading his figure father's thoughts, already started to open the door to get her out._

_"Be careful!" Carlisle exclaimed, moving to where Edward was, "She might not have her seatbelt on!"_

_Edward glanced and didn't see the familiar black strap sitting across Bella's body. He inwardly cursed. **Bella, how could you not put your seatbelt on? You know it's slippery outside!**_

_"Easy now, gently." Carlisle directed, switching positions with his son so that he was holding the door open. "Now Alice."_

_On his word, Alice lifted the truck slightly so that Bella fell gently into Edward's stone arms. A moan escaped her mouth and she instantly started coughing. Edward felt something warm, wet, and sticky land on his face and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that it was blood. Resisting the urge to lick it off, Edward tenderly laid her on the other side of the grass where there weren't any glass shards_

_"Edward." The sound was so frail and tiny that to a normal person they wouldn't be able to hear it. Thankfully, Edward had superhuman hearing and the voice sounded like it was being whispered directly into his ear._

_He was by her side in a flash. "Bella." He said, looking down her body for any other injuries that she might have sustained. In reality, it didn't look too good. Besides the fact that her head and face were caked in blood, Bella's right foot stuck out at an odd angle. There were numerous cuts on her, bleeding profusely. However, what really drew Edward's attention was the large gash on her flat, pale stomach. It seemed that the sweater had been sliced with a large shard of glass and the glass had continued to fall into her stomach._

_"Edward." Alice said, standing by his side, her eyes frozen as she stared at the horrible sight in front of her. "You have too—"_

_"NO!" He yelled. He wasn't going to change her! Bella wasn't going to die, she was going to be alright. _

_"Edward." Bella said again, as another coughing spasm shook her body. Her lips struggled to say the words. "I'm sorry."_

_Panic seized Edward. "No!" He cried, leaning forward so that he could feel Bella's breath near his nose. "Don't you dare give up Isabella Swan!"_

_Carlisle was talking but Edward was too numb to understand what he was saying. It wasn't until Bella whimpered, "Everything." did Edward understand that he had asked what hurt._

_Dr. Cullen instantly pulled out his black bag and kneeled by Bella. "Alice, call nine-one-one," he directed. "Edward, keep her preoccupied."_

_As Alice dialed the emergency number, Edward gently laid one hand on her neck, where her pulse was. He felt pained feeling how weak her pulse was. He felt rage build up in him as he slammed his other hand onto the grass, leaving a large dent. He should have gone with Bella, even though her destination was on Quileute territory. For the first time in eighty years, Edward wanted to cry like a normal human. Instead, he had to let his anger and pain out in other ways. "Don't give up Bella," he begged her. "Please."_

_She gave him a ghost of her former smile. "I'm….trying."_

_Alice shut the phone with such a 'snap' that it echoed in the cold air. "An ambulance is coming." She announced._

_Bella's eyes travelled towards the petite vampire. "Alice?"_

_She was by her side in half a second. "Bella." Alice murmured, stroking Bella's face lightly._

_"I'm sorry….we couldn't…go…shopping."_

_Alice's eyes grew very soft and misty. "We'll go shopping soon." She promised, smoothing back Bella's sticky hair. "And I'm going to buy you so many clothes; you'll need three closets to fill them." What Alice was saying was totally different to what her mind was saying. And Edward heard it all._

**_Edward, you need to change her. She's dying! _**

_Edward squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't change her—he wouldn't let her lose her humanity._

_"EDWARD!" Alice shrieked. _

_"I won't!" He yelled back, clenching his fists. _

_"Carlisle!" Alice wheeled. "Tell him! He has to change her! It's the only way!"_

_The man in question looked up from his position by Bella's head and his eyes were sad. "He changing her won't do any good." He said sadly. "It's too late."_

_Edward's heart plummeted as Alice inhaled quickly. "What do you mean it's too late?" Alice's trembling voice answered the question that was racing through Edward's mind._

_"Her heart beat is too slow—the venom wouldn't make it there in time." He shook his head slowly, gazing down at Bella. "We're too late."_

_"NO!" Edward roared. "We're not too late! There's got to be a way! There has to be!" He rounded on Alice. "Don't you See anything?"_

_The woman in question shook her head quickly. If she had been able to cry, she would have. "All I See is Bella's funeral." She said quietly, still stroking Bella's hair. _

_Another groan came from Bella's body and the arguing ceased. Edward was by Bella's side and gently took her left hand. She hissed in pain and Edward realized that her wrist was broken. A howl of rage died on his lips as he looked at the tortured beauty in front of him. It was then when it hit him. Bella was dying. He was never going to see his angel blush scarlet when she was embarrassed, never hear the sarcasm drip from her voice, never see her trip and fall at anything that came in contact with her feet. He dropped his head into his hands in disbelief and in despair._

_"Edward."_

_Looking up, he saw Bella's head twisted to the left to stare at him. Even through the haze of pain her brown eyes bore, she still looked at him with love and affection. "I….love…you." She said, struggling for air to form the words she wanted to say. "Forever."_

_**What was forever now? Just a fancy word for saying I'll never see you again! **Edward wanted to yell, but instead, he flashed Bella her favorite crooked smile. To his delight, he saw Bella's lips upturn slightly. _

_She moved her head slowly to Carlisle, who was now crouching near Alice, an unreadable expression on his face._

_"Gentle…doctor," Bella whispered, causing him to chuckle. "Good…father."_

_Carlisle smiled tightly. "I always thought of you as one of my daughters Bella." He laid a hand on Bella's neck and kept it there for a moment—listening. With a heavy heart, he turned to Edward and Alice._

_"There's not that much time left."_

_Alice nodded and with the face of a martyr, she leaned forward and kissed Bella's forehead. "I love you Bella." She said her voice laced with anguish. "If you can, say hi to my parents in heaven. If there is one."_

_Bella's lips twitched and Alice took that as a yes. Taking one last look at her best friend, Alice stood up and went to stand by Carlisle. Edward barely noticed that Alice had buried her head in her father's chest and her shoulders shook with her dry sobs._

_"I'm…so…stupid." Bella wheezed out, her chest rising laboriously. "Never...should…have…gone."_

_Edward said nothing but only stroked Bella's face with the side of his hand. He felt the warmth of her body slowly start to dissipate. He knew that time was limited and a blessing at the moment._

_"Tell…Esme…that I…love her. Same…Emmett…Jasper…Rosalie."_

_Edward only nodded. _

_"Tell Ch-Charlie…the same."_

_He finally found his voice, but he found that it shook. "I-I will."_

_She smiled slightly again and she closed her eyes. She hadn't passed on as her heart was still beating. Faintly, but still beating._

_"I broke…promise."_

_Bella's words brought Edward out of his stupor. "What promise?" He asked her, leaning over and grasping her unbroken right hand. The pad of his thumb traced circles over the bruised flesh._

_"Stay with you." She gasped out. He could see that it was getting harder and harder for her to speak. Her life was slipping past them, like sand in a child's grip. "Eternity. Won't get…to…be married…to you."_

_He crouched forward so that his face was inches from her glorious one. "You didn't break your promise," he said to her, his voice cracking, "I did. I didn't change you when I should have. For that, I am truly sorry. It's my fault and only mine. I shouldn't have been so stubborn but I didn't know that—"_

_Bella shushed him, a loving look still in her eye. "You…only did what...was best. You've…made….my life…the happiest…ever been."_

_Edward knew at that moment, that if he were human, he'd be weeping with despair. She was too far gone for him—there were only a few more heartbeats left before that wonderful organ stopped for oblivion._

_Her breath hitched slightly. "I'll be…watching you." She said, bringing their clasped hands to her cracked lips to kiss his cool hand. "And I'll…never…stop…loving you."_

_"I love you." Edward repeated._

_Her eyelids drooped. "You're my…brand of…heroin."_

_In a lighter situation, Edward probably would have laughed at the choice of her words, but at the moment, he realized what she meant. Leaning forward, he kissed her cracked lips with as much passion as he could bear. "You'll always be my one hundred year old brand of cognac." He promised her._

_No more words uttered out of her mouth as her eyes closed for the final time in eternal darkness. Edward felt her heartbeat beat and then still._

_A howl of rage escaped his lips as he drew Bella's broken and lifeless body to his, cradling it gently to his chest. "Bella!" He cried, burying his face into the crook of her neck. Even in death, she still smelled delectable. _

_And then he heard it. The wailing of the ambulance._

_--_

I've never felt or witnessed as much pain as I did when Bella died. The entire town of Forks seemed to have been mourning her death. Forks High School closed as classmates came to pay their last respects to their fallen student. Charlie Swan, choked up in grief, resigned from his title of Chief of Police and moved out of Washington three weeks after his daughter's funeral.

The entire Quileute wolf pack was there, sans Jacob Black. Later, I was told that when Jacob heard of the news of Bella's death, he had morphed into a wolf and sped off into the woods. He hadn't been seen since. Billy Black, however, was present for the funeral and said some prayers in his native tongue for Bella. Mike Newton had showed up, and for the first time, I felt remorse and pity for the human boy. I had seen almost all of his emotions—jealousy, happiness, anger, but never, had I seen such a look of grief and hurt etch onto his face.

Bella's mother, Renee was in hysterics, clinging to her second husband Phil as they lowered Bella's body into the hard earth. She had to be restrained by members of the Quileute pack as she had tried to jump into the hole as they placed the first shovel of dirt onto her casket. I, myself, had the crazy urge to jump in to the hole. I probably would have if Esme hadn't put a restraining but comforting hand on my shoulder.

With her hand on my shoulder, I had to watch the gravediggers pat the last bit of dirt onto the top of the hole. Rosalie drew forward and placed a single white lily on the mound of dirt, then returned quietly to Emmett's side, her arms wrapped around his waist as she stared at the sight in front of her.

--

It's been six weeks since Bella has passed and everyday has been a struggle since. Everywhere I turned, Bella's presence surrounded me. I found that I could not return to the meadow because when I did, a hallucination of her touching my arm greeted me. Even my Volvo, my pride and joy, had to be put away as I couldn't even bear to look at it. My piano remained untouched and it would forever remain untouched. I knew that if I played it, I would either play her lullaby or play something so depressing that a human would be sobbing their eyes out.

I knew that I was hurting my family and I could see they tried to get me out of this depression. Alice spent a lot of time with me but it didn't help, as I could read her mind and see images I'd rather not see. Emmett tried to get me to prank Jasper but it was no use. I was dead—in the mind.

--

A few days later, I found myself in front of Bella's grave, reading the marker that said her name, date of birth, and death. Her senior class picture, set in the stone, smiled up at me as I placed the bouquet of flowers near the picture. "I miss you Bella." I said softly, staring at her lovely face. "We all want you back." I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets, even though my hands weren't cold.

I remember something Jasper had asked me years ago before Christmas. "What do you want most in the world?" He had asked me.

Back then, I said something flippant but now, I realized what I wanted most in the world.

I wanted Bella back. No, I wanted more time with Bella. I wanted to hold her in my arms, kiss her until she fainted, and see the lovely red blush on her cheeks that made me go mad.

Time was a funny little bugger. It could be your best friend, or your worst nightmare. It was the thing that separated from being early, and being late. It separated night and day. Life from death.

And I would have all of eternity to figure out why time had been so cruel to take my angel from me.

_--_

_**What did you think? Reviews would be majorly loved, criticism is allowed too. Flamers—if you must. I must say, listening to the Pride and Prejudice**** soundtrack really does put one into a depressing and angsty mood. However, I'm quite pleased with this little one-shot and I hope you did too!**_

**_--GC_**


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